Lightening the Load
by menolly-au
Summary: Post Ep for 6.21 - Baggage. Nolan catches up to House after House walks out of his office and they talk some more.


Dr Nolan made his way slowly out to the parking lot. Dr House has been his last appointment for the day and he wasn't happy with how that session had ended. It seemed to him in retrospect that he had missed hearing some of what House was trying to tell him. It was always difficult with House to sort through the different layers and try and discern the truth but in this session House had seemed particularly vulnerable and open. Somehow Nolan had lost him along the way.

He was worried about House. He had been giving off clear signals of someone who was in danger of having a major relapse and when he'd stormed out Nolan had barely restrained himself from rushing out after him. He couldn't chase down a patient, it was up to House to come to him. Still, it was a worrying situation. House had already admitted that he'd been in a bar fight he was too drunk to remember clearly. As a recovering addict, albeit for prescribed medication, he was at increased risk of succumbing to other addictions.

He made his way to his car, deep in thought. It was still raining heavily and becoming dark. It was only by chance that he glanced up at the right moment to see the shadowy figure sitting in a car. Another glance confirmed that it was indeed Doctor House and he rapped his knuckles on the driver's side window to get the man's attention.

"Dr House!" House looked up and stared at him through the window. He made no move to open it however. Nolan had to yell to be heard over the noise of the rain.

"Is there a problem with your car?"

House pulled a face, his exaggerated expressions indicating that he couldn't hear Nolan.

Nolan sighed to himself and then went round to the passenger side, trying the door. Finding it unlocked he entered the car.

House looked at him.

"If this is a car jack you can have it – it's worth less than that watch you're wearing."

"It's raining, I was getting wet out there yelling at you. No car jacking. Is there something wrong with your car?"

"Wouldn't start." House muttered. "One of the nut jobs probably sabotaged it."

Nolan doubted very much that either statement was true. Calling House on it would accomplish very little so he took a different tack.

"I owe you an apology House."

House looked up startled.

"For changing the decor in the waiting room? Yeah, it's pretty crap."

"For letting my interest in solving the puzzle of your week overcome my duty of care to you. I got so caught up in solving the mystery that I think I missed some things you were trying to tell me. For that, I apologise."

House fiddled with his cane, seemingly baffled by Nolan's apology and then shrugged.

"You were wrong anyway. It's not just about Cuddy, or just about Wilson, or Alvie..."

"Little things have a way of adding up. You've been hurting this week, for many reasons."

"Not just this week." House muttered. "Things are..I can feel myself going back to what..." he shook his head,. Even after a year of therapy Nolan knew it was hard for him to articulate these feelings. After a while House looked out the window at the driving rain.

"If I go home there's a damned good chance that I'm going to end up going to a bar and getting smashed...and then smashed if you know what I mean." House rubbed at the bruise on his arm, it was blackening and looking more like a boot mark all the time. Nolan wondered if anyone at the hospital had noticed it during the day.

"You've been drinking heavily lately?" Nolan was careful to keep his tone neutral, non-judgemental.

House let out a pained laugh.

"A few days ago I got so drunk that when I came back home...to Wilsons, I took a wrong turn and ended up in some kid's bedroom."

"That can't have gone well."

"Mother called the cops, they hauled me downstairs so that Wilson and his ex could identify me."

"I'm sure Wilson was concerned about that."

"Pissed more like it. Think I interrupted their morning exercise. He thinks I'm jealous of him and Sam, or lonely, or pathetic or something. So he set up some play-dates with my staff. Paid them $100 each to take me out. Foreman was apparently worth twice that, must be because he hates my guts."

Nolan blinked in surprise.

"That's... not the best approach. He told you this?"

"I thought it was odd that everyone wanted to be my BFF all of a sudden. So I asked him...and yeah, he told me."

"So what did you do?"

"Went out with them. Why not? Free booze and an opportunity to mock, win-win. Thirteen took me to a lesbian bar, Chase and Foreman to a karaoke night at a bar."

"And how did that go?"

"Lesbian bar was hot, but in a hands-off type of way, Thirteen got lots of numbers. Karaoke night was...different. Three guys who can't stand each other bonding over crap eighties songs and lots of booze."

"Hmm..."

House rolled his eyes.

"Oh don't start with that, just spit it out."

"Oh, I was just wondering why 'three guys who can't stand each other' keep finding ways to work together. From what you've told me Chase and Foreman have both left and returned."

"They like the work, not me."

"Maybe. But I doubt that they 'hate' you. Nobody who had a choice would voluntarily work for someone they hate. Did they appear to have a good time during your night out?"

House shrugged. "They seemed to. Foreman got that stick out of his ass for once, and Chase is always entertaining when he's making an idiot of himself."

"You know, you could try seeing if they would like to go out again. This time without Wilson paying them, or them paying for you."

"I'm not looking for Wilson substitutes. He'll be back."

"You are allowed to have more than one friend. You're lonely Greg. People are the only solution to that."

"Been lonely all my life." It was barely a whisper but Nolan heard it. "People can't change."

"Yes, they can. It isn't easy and it isn't quick but they can. You have."

House looked at him, shaking his head.

"Yes, you have House. I can see it and I am sure that your friends can see it. You would never have had this conversation when you first came to Mayfield."

"Coming off Vicodin and going on the happy pills has made me soft. But not happy."

"Happiness is a goal House. If you've failed to reach it yet it doesn't mean it's not reachable. It just means that it might take a little longer. Like all goals it's something you need to keep working at. I may not have the answers House, but I can help you look for them."

Nolan shifted in his seat, it was becoming cramped just sitting in the car.

"There's a hamburger joint down the road. We can go and get something to eat there. Then I'd like you to come back and spend the night here."

House tensed, looking over at the imposing building behind them.

Nolan shook his head.

"No, not at as an inmate. We have a couple of private rooms, sometimes we have visitors staying over, or doctors. You can have one of those for tonight. Tomorrow we can talk some more, and we'll get you an appointment with the pain specialist you saw before. You said that you have been having more pain?"

House nodded slowly, rubbing his thigh.

"Thought that was because I had a rough week?" he asked defensively.

"Stress can increase pain levels, but so can physical causes. I'd like to see if there is a physical reason for the increased pain levels and then we can talk about treatment. Even if it stress you still need to receive proper medication until we can deal with that stress, living in pain is not going to increase your chances of happiness."

House fiddled with his cane, apparently turning Nolan's offer over in his head.

"Are you charging me for this?"

"Of course."

House scowled. "Then you're paying for dinner. And we're taking your car."

They got out of House's car and made their way to Nolan's. As he settled into the passenger seat House looked at Nolan.

"There's nothing wrong with my car."

Nolan smiled.

"I know House. You made a good choice to stay."

House relaxed in the seat and allowed a slight smile in return.

"Yeah, maybe I did."


End file.
